KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Tuesday night, The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize Construction Manager CSM to move forward with awarding contracts for the county’s nearly $95 million Justice Center project.
Construction will begin next month with a groundbreaking ceremony, according to officials.
Despite challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials say the project remains on track. The majority of the construction jobs created by the project will be hired locally. Commissioners say 90% of the construction that was bid on by local vendors were awarded locally.
“Ensuring this project creates local jobs for Kalamazoo County residents was a top priority of mine and I am proud to say that 90% of the talented construction workers who will be hired to build our new Justice Faculty will be local residents,” Board of Commissioners Chair Tracy Hall said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Kalamazoo County hard and this project will provide a
critical boost for our economy and for skilled trade’s workers in Kalamazoo County and West Michigan.”
The Justice Facility will include services which are currently in three buildings spread across downtown Kalamazoo. The five-story, 165,000-square-foot facility will be located next to the Kalamazoo County Administration Building on Kalamazoo Avenue.
“The awarding of these contracts marks another significant step in the process toward construction of our new Justice Facility — which will create jobs, streamline the county’s criminal justice system and overall save taxpayers money,” Kalamazoo County administrator Tracie Moored said. “I want to thank everyone involved in the collaboration and construction of our Justice Facility, including our employees who have worked so hard to get us to this point, Jerry VanderVeen, our Owners Representative, the Construction Manager CSM, and Tower Pinkster/HOK for their hard work, commitment and dedication to this project.”
Kalamazoo County’s new Justice Facility will include several unique design elements, including a center light wall, the building will also feature a roof specially designed to help regulate solar heat, which aligns with the county’s goal of being good stewards to the environment, officials said.
CSM Group is managing the project. The building was designed by Tower Pinkster/HOK.
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